Apparatus for slitting and handling of strip in a rolling mill



Oct. 8, 1963 J. v. CONTALDO 3,106,359

APPARATUS FOR SLITTING AND HANDLING OF STRIP IN A ROLLING MILL Filed Sept. 26. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOSEPH V. CONTALDO Get. 8, 1963 J v. CONTALDO 3,106,359

APPARATUS #oR SLITTING AND HANDLING OF STRIP IN A ROLLING MILL Filed Sept. 26, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I II I l l l I FIG. 2

INVENTOR. J0 7 EPH V. CONTALDO Oct. 8, 1963 J. v. CONTALDO APPARATUS FOR SLITTING AND HANDLING OF STRIP IN A ROLLING MILL 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 26. 1960 INVENOR. JOSEPH v. OONTALDO Q'fi TORNEY HIS A 8, 1963 Y J. v. CONTALDO 06,359

APPARATUS FOR SLITTING AND HANDLING OF STRIP IN A ROLLING MILL Filed. Sept. 26, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 H H \I ll- 6o INVENTOR.

JOSEPH V. CONTALDO into coils.

that path to deflect the intersected band vertically.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,106,359 Patented Oct. 8, 1963 3,106,359 APPARATUS FOR SLITTING AND HANDLING OF STRIP IN A ROLLING MILL Joseph V. Contaldo, Sewickley, Pa., assign'or to United Engineering and Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 58,487 10 Claims. (Cl. 242-565) This invention relates to apparatus for processing and handling metal strip issuing from a rolling mill, and more particularly to the slitting and coiling of such strip.

As metal strip leaves a rolling mill it must be formed To avoid delay when one coil is completed and a new one has to be started, it is common practice to mount coilers in tandem relation and to quickly direct the strip from one coiler to the other as soon as the first coil has been formed.

It is the present practice to divide or slit the rolled strip into one or more bands as a separate operation and distinct from the rolling process. In such a case the bands are wound side by side on a single coiler and are separated intoseparate coils only after they have been stripped from the coiling mandrel. Such a system requires separators between the bands as they are being coiled and it is not very satisfactory.

It is an object of this invention to provide in combination with a high speed rolling mill, means for slitting the strip immediately after it issues from the mill into two or more continuous bands and strip handling apparatus, in which the bands can be wound on coilers simultaneously so that each band is formed into a separate coil. Another object is to provide novel means for deflecting the bands to the coilers and for guiding them thereto.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, metal strip issuing substantially horizontally from a rolling mill is continuously slit lengthwise into at least two 7 bands disposed side by side. The two bands are supported in a substantially horizontal path of travel of any desired length. At a given point along the path, means are provided for coiling one of the bands. Disposed between the slitting and coiling means is deflecting means, norm-ally spaced vertically from the path of travel of the other band. The deflecting means can be tilted into Means are provided. for receiving the deflected band and coiling it. Thus, both bands can be coiled at the same time on diflierent coiling means. Between the deflecting means and the adjacent coiling means there is a chute having upper and lower Walls, the lower ends of which can be swung away from each other as a coil is formed to keep them from interfering'with the coiling of the strip. It also is desirable to have means for deflecting the entire strip, when unslit, to each coiling means is succession.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional section through my slitting and coiling apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a plan view with some of the parts removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a set of deflectors;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 4; and i f FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 7-7 or FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, metal strip 1 issuing from the last stand 2 Ma rolling mill passes through a slitting and edge trimming machine 3, which includes two sets of circular trimming blades 4 and one set of circular slitting blades 5. All of these blades are adjustable lengthwise of their supporting shafts 6 in a well known manner so that strips of diiferent widths can be trimmed and bands 7 and 8 of different widths can be formed from the strip. Behind the slitting and trimming machine there is a table 10 provided with rollers 11 for supporting the entire strip or only one of the bands as it travels across the table. Spaced vertically from the table rollers, preferably below them, are two coilers 1-2 and 13 of well known construction. Each includes a cantilever supported driven mandrel 14, on which a metal band can be wound after it has been started around the mandrel by a conventional belt wrapper 15. The coilers are arranged in tandem; that is, they are spaced lengthwise of the table.

After the slit strip has traveled forward a short distance from the slitter, the two bands pass between a pair of pinch rolls 17 and 18. Ordinarily, the wider band 7 continues forward over the table 10 and between another pair of pinch rolls 19 and 20, immediately after which it is deflected downward through a chute 21 to the rear coiler 12 by means of a tiltable deflector 22 extending entirely across the table in the path or" the band. It is a feature of this invention that at the same time, the other band 8 is directed to the front coiler 13. This is accomplished by a tiltable deflector 23 extending part way across the table immediately behind the front set of pinch rolls 17 and 18. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the rear end of the deflector is pivotally mounted on a shaft 24 rotatably mounted in the front end of the table beneath the level of the wider band. The front end of the deflector can be swung up or down by means of a fluid pressure cylinder 26 (FIGS. 4 and 6) suspended from the front pinch roll housing 27 and pivotally connected to a lug 28 on a sleeve 29, in which a horizontal rod 30 is slidably and rotatably mounted. The inner end of the rod is rigidly mounted in the adjacent end of the deflector. The rod can extend through a vertical slot 31 in the side of the pinch roll housing.

When the deflector 23 is in its lower or horizontal position, it is beneath the path of travel of the narrow band, but when the deflector is swung upward by the cylinder as shown it is inclined across that path and therefore deflects the narrow ban-d vertically. When this occurs, the band is directed down through an inclined chute 32 that has -a lower wall 33, at least the lower portion of which is secured at its upper end to a horizontal shaft 34 pivotally mounted in plates 35 extending downward from the opposite sides of the table 10, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This pivoted portion of the chute is pivotally connected to the front end of a piston rod 37 extending back into a fluid pressure cylinder 38, the central portion of which is provided with trunnions .39 that permit it to rock in its supporting beam 40.

is pivotally mounted on the deflector shaft 24. The purpose of pivoting the upper and lower walls of the chute is to permit them to be swung awayfrom each other as a coil is formed at their lower ends, so that they will not interfere with the coiling. Thus, fluid pressure introduced into the front end of cylinder 38 will swing the lower end of the lower wall of the chute downward and backward and this will cause crank arm 42 to swing upward and thereby, through link 43, swing the lower end of the upper wall of the chute upward. These retracted positions of the chute walls are indicated in broken lines.

A second deflector 46 also is pivotally mounted on the deflector shaft 24 beside the first deflector 23. This second deflector normally remains in its lower horizontal aux-2,359

position as shown, in which it is below the wide band of the strip. Its purpose, when tilted upward, is to allow the entire strip to be deflected down to the front coiler in case the slitter is not being used. This deflector is raised and lowered in the same way as the first one, by means of a fluid pressure cylinder 47, a sleeve 48, and a rod 49 projecting from the deflector through the sleeve and the adjoining side of the pinch roll housing. When both deflectors 23 and 46 are swung down to horizontal position, the ship will pass over them to the rear coiler or, if the rear deflector 22 likewise is lowered, the strip will continue off the rear end of the table.

Since it is desirable to be able to vary the relative widths of the two bands slit from the strip, it also becomes desirable to adjust the two front deflectors lengthwise of their supporting shaft 24 so that one band will not overlap both deflectors. This adjustment can be made according to this invention by threading the shaft and mounting nuts 51 and 52 on it, which are disposed in recesses in the deflectors and engage flat against them so that the nuts will not turn when the shaft is rotated by a hand wheel 53 at one end, but will push the deflectors along the shaft. As the deflectors are moved along the shaft, their rods 30 and 49 will slide through their encircling sleeves 29 and 43 and the sides of the pinch roll housing.

It also is desirable to be able to adjust one deflector lengthwise of the shaft 2d relative to the other. To permit this the shaft is formed from two screws 55 and 56 having a tongue and slot connection 57 (FIG. 4) at their inner ends inside of a bearing 58 supported by the table It When one deflector is to be adjusted relative to the other, as shown in FIG. 7, a key 60- that is fastened to the outer end of the outer bearing 61 for screw 56, and which projects into an annular groove 62 in the screw to hold that screw against the other screw 55, is removed and screw 56 is pulled outward by the hand wheel far enough to separate the inner ends of the screws. The hand wheel then can be turned to run deflector 46 in or out on the screw the desired distance. Likewise, if desired, the other screw 55 can be turned from its outer end by a wrench for the same purpose. Then the screws are connected again and key 60 is replaced so that when the hand wheel is turned both screws will rotate in unison as a single shaft.

The rear deflector 22 is raised and lowered in the same Way as the front deflectors and therefore will not be described further. Likewise, the rear chute 21 is constructed and operated like the front chute 32 and needs no further description.

It is desirable that the wider band 7 always be on the side of the table nearest the supports for the cantilever mounted mandrels 14. As a result, the heavier coil is formed closer to the mandrel support than the lighter coil, whereby the mandrel is more stable than would be the case if the bands were reversed.

It will be seen that with this invention strip issuing from a high speed rolling mill can be slit into two or more bands as a (function of the rolling process and that the bands can be handled in such a manner that no lost time will be experienced in the coiling of succeeding bands.

Should it be desirable to slit the strip into three or more bands, then the deflector assembly will be modified to handle the increased number of bands. For example, if the strip is slit into three bands, the deflector assembly will be modified so that the two outside bands will be conveyed to one of the mandrels 14 and the center band will be conveyed to the other mandrel 14. In this manner the two bands, being coiled on the single coiler, will always be separated and hence easily removable.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. Strip handling apparatus for metal strip issuing substantially horizontally from a rolling mill, comprising means for continuously slitting the strip lengthwise into two bands, means for supporting the bands in a substantially horizontal path of travel, means for coiling one of the bands, :1 deflector disposed between said slitting and coiling means normally below the path of travel of the other band, means for tilting the front end of the deflector up into said path of said other band to deflect it downward, a chute inclined downward from the deflector and having upper and lower walls, strip coiling means at the lower end of the chute, means pivoting the upper end of said upper wall on a horizontal axis, the lower wall of the chute having a lower section pivoted at its upper end on a horizontal axis, and means for swinging the lower ends of the upper wall and lower wall section away from each other as a coil of strip is formed by said last-mentioned coiling means.

2. Strip handling apparatus for metal strip issuing substantially horizontally from a rolling mill, comprising means for continuously slitting the strip lengthwise, means for supporting the slit strip in a substantially horizontal path of travel, coiling means, a horizontal shaft mounted below said path extending across it between said slitting and coiling means, a pair of deflectors having rear ends pivotally mounted on said shaft, means connected with the deflectors for selectively tilting their front ends up into the path of the slit strip to deflect it downward, and means below said supporting means for receiving strip from the deflectors and coiling it, whereby the strip can be coiled by different coiling means at the same time or the strip can be coiled first by one coiling means and then the other.

3. Strip handling apparatus according to claim 2, in which said shaft is threaded and includes means threadedly connecting the deflectors to the shaft, and means for turning the shaft to adjust the deflectors lengthwise of it.

4. Strip handling apparatus according to claim 2, in which said shaft is formed from two screws and includes means detachably connecting the screws together, means threadedly connecting one deflector to each screw, and means for turning the screws in unison while they are connected and for turning them separately when they are disconnected, whereby to adjust the deflectors along the screws.

5. Strip handling apparatus for metal strip issuing substantially horizontally from a rolling mill, comprising means for continuously slitting the strip lengthwise, means for supporting the slit strip in a substantially horizontal path of travel, coiling means, a horizontal threaded shaft mounted below said path and extending across it between said slitting and coiling means, a pair of deflectors having rear ends pivotally mounted on said shaft, means threaded on the shaft for moving the deflectors lengthwise thereof when the shaft is turned, a rod projecting laterally from the outer side of each deflector, a sleeve rotatably and slidably mounted on each rod, means connected to the sleeves for raising them selectively to tilt the front ends of the deflectors up into the path of the slit strip to deflect it downward, and means below said supporting means for receiving strip from the deflectors and coiling it, whereby the strip can be coiled by different coiling means at the same time or the strip can be coiled first by one coiling means and then the other.

6. Strip handling apparatus for metal strip issuing substantially horizontally from a rolling mill, comprising a pair of pinch rolls for feeding the strip ahead, a deflector behind the pinch rolls normally below strip issuing from said rolls, means for tilting the front end of the deflector up to deflect strip downward, a chute inclined downward from the deflector, strip coiling means at the lower end of the chute, the chute having upper and lower walls, means pivoting the upper end of said upper wall on a horizontal axis, and means for swinging the lower end of the upper wall upward as a coil of strip is formed by said coiling means.

7. Strip handling apparatus for metal strip issuing substantially horizontally from a rolling mill, comprising a pair of pinch rolls for feeding the stripahead, a deflector behind the pinch rolls normally below strip issuing from said rolls, means for tilting the front end of the deflector up to deflect strip downward, a chute inclined downward from the deflector, strip coiling means at the lower end of the chute, the chute having upper and lower walls, means pivoting the upper end of said upper wall on a horizontal axis, the lower wall of the chute having a lower section pivoted at its upper end on a horizontal axis, and means for swinging the lower ends of the upper wall and lower wall section away from each other as a coil of strip is formed by said coiling means.

8. Strip handling apparatus for metal strip issuing sub stantially. horizontally from a rolling mill, comprising a pair of pinch rolls for feeding the strip ahead, a deflector behind the pinch nolls normally below strip issuing-from said rolls, means for tilting the front end of the deflector up to deflect strip downward, a chute inclined downward from the deflector, strip coiling means at the lower end of the chute, and chute having upper and lower walls, means pivoting the upper end of said upper wall on a horizontal axis, the lower wall of the chute having a lower section pivoted at its upper end on a horizontal axis, a crank operatively connected with said lower wall, means for moving said lower wall section downward as a coil of strip is formed by said coiling means, and a link pivotally connecting the crank with said upper wall for swinging that wall upward as the lower wal-l swings downward.

9. In a rolling mill for processing strip material, means for slitting the strip into two or more continuous bands immediately after it issues from the mill, two separate coiling means located immediately after said strip slitting means each adapted to simultaneously receive and coil one of the bands as it issues from said slitting means, said coiling means comprising a pair of mandrels arranged in tandem relationship with respect to each other and to said mill and cantileverly mounted on the same side of the path of travel of said strip, said mandrels each being of sufiicient length for coiling the maximum width strip in unslitted form that may issue from the mill, means comprising two strip deflecting means arranged in a sideby-side relationship for directing a wider band to the portion of one of said mandrels nearest its supported end fOI'COiling thereon and a narrower band to the portion of the other mandrel farthest away from its supported end for coiling thereon.

10. In combination with a rolling mill and a slitter for dividing into at least two bands a strip issuing from the rolling mill, a first coiling means for coiling either a full width strip or one of the two slitted bands formed from a full width strip, means for supporting said bands in a substantially horizontal path of travel as they issue from said slitter, strip deflector means disposed between said slitter and first coiling means comprising two strip deflecting members arranged in a side-by-side relationship and disposed between said slitter and coiling means and substantially parallel to the path of travel of said full width strip and slitted bands, means fior'tilting one of said strip deflecting members relative to the other and into the path of one of said bands to deflect it from its horizontal path of travel, means for tilting the other of said members into said path so as to cooperate with said first member to deflect a full width strip from its horizontal path of travel, and second coiling means for coil ing either a full width strip or the other band formed from said full width strip whereby both of said bands can be coiled 'at the same time or successive full width strips can be coiled alternatively on said first and second coiling means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 618,287 Patterson Jan. 24, 1899 2,111,054 Paul Mar. 15, 1938 2,120,473 Sheperdson June 14, 1938 2,587,400 Southwick Feb. 26, 1952 2,725,104 Wood Nov. 29, 1955 2,779,550 Muddirnan Jan. 29, 1957 

1. STRIP HANDLING APPARATUS FOR METAL STRIP ISSUING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL FROM A ROLLING MILL, COMPRISING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY SLITTING THE STRIP LENGTHWISE INTO TWO BANDS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE BANDS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PATH OF TRAVEL, MEANS FOR COILING ONE OF THE BANDS, A DEFLECTOR DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SLITTING AND COILING MEANS NORMALLY BELOW THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE OTHER BAND, MEANS FOR TILTING THE FRONT END OF THE DEFLECTOR UP INTO SAID PATH OF SAID OTHER BAND TO DEFLECT IT DOWNWARD, A CHUTE INCLINED DOWNWARD FROM THE DEFLECTOR AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER WALLS, STRIP COILING MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF THE CHUTE, MEANS PIVOTING THE UPPER END OF SAID UPPER WALL ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS, THE LOWER WALL OF THE CHUTE HAVING A LOWER SECTION PIVOTED AT ITS UPPER END ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS, AND MEANS FOR SWINGING THE LOWER ENDS OF THE UPPER WALL AND LOWER WALL SECTION AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AS A COIL OF STRIP IS FORMED BY SAID LAST-MENTIONED COILING MEANS. 